How the Government plans to fix the UK's pothole problem

The Department for Transport says it will start tackling the UK's millions of potholes over the next year...

Darren Moss

08 April 2016

The Department for Transport has outlined how it will fix the millions of potholes affecting UK roads by using newly allocated funds.

The government body says it will use the £250 million Pothole Action Fund – first announced in last month's budget – to start repairing Britain's broken roads. About a fifth of the fund will be used over the course of the next year to start tackling the problem, with a further three million potholes to be repaired by 2021.

On average, it costs £53 to repair a single pothole. Consumer groups have long campaigned about the damage that can be caused to vehicles by potholes, including misaligned wheels, broken alloy wheels, cracks and lumps in tyres, and buckled wheels.

Potholes are caused when moisture gets into cracks in the road surface. Cold weather causes this moisture to freeze and expand, making the cracks larger. As more cars drive over the cracks, the holes deepen, causing a pothole.

As part of the Government's plan, local authorities will be able to apply for a percentage of the £578m road budget, which will be split up across the country over the next five years to help with road maintenance and repairs. However, the most efficient authorities will be allocated the most money. Currently, Durham and Lincolnshire lead the UK in fixing potholes quickly and effectively.

The Department for Transport hopes this 'reward system' will motivate other authorities to increase their productivity when it comes to tackling potholes.